Window regulator



1934. E. L. ACKERMAN WINDOW REGULATOR Filed May 18, 1929 v2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. [01mm X. flc rzmw/v W Z M ATTORNEY.

Jan. 16, 1934- E. L. ACKERMAN WINDOW REGULATOR Filed May 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVEN 524mm; .4 96/1 ATTORNEY.

, fully described and claimed, and the preferred Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE to Ackerman-Blaesser-Fezzey,

Incorporated,

Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application May 18, 1929. Serial No. 364,181

6 Claims.

This invention relates to Window regulators, more particularly adapted for use in the raising and lowering of windows of a closed automobile body.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and unique structure of very simple form permitting the same to be made of stampings reducing machine work and labor cost involved in the manufacture thereof, and further to provide a structure of such form that the window raising arm engages the center of the lower sash rail in any of its possible positions.

I-Ieretofore, in window regulators of this general character, the sash operating or regulator arm is pivoted to swing in an arc and thus in raising the window, pressure is applied at one side of a vertical center line. This tends to cramp the sash in its frame and as the window is raised this roller passes the center and applies pressure to the sash at the opposite side of its vertical center line. Thus, in lowering the sash the pressure is again applied ofi center.

The principal object of this invention therefore is to provide a window regulator having an operating arm whose point of contact with the sash is maintained practically on the vertical center line of the sash at all times.

These several objects and the various novel features of the invention are hereinafter more form of construction of a window regulator embodying my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved window regulator mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a plan view from the top of Fig. 1.

, Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevation partly in section showing the relationship of the regulator and sash.

As indicated in Fig. i, the regulator is attached to a cross bar of the Window frame approximately at the upper end of the window receiving pocket as is commonly the practice in this type of construction.

The device consists of the plate 1 attachable to a stationary portion of the window frame. The plate is of stamped sheet metal and has a lateral extension 2 thereon, both the main portion 1 and the extension having apertures 3 by means of which screws may be inserted thru the plate into a stationary part of the door structure usually termed a lock board. The plate 1 at its lower end is formed with an aperture 4 for the shaft 5, the outer end of which is slotted and in which the inner end of a flat spiral spring 6 is secured.

a le on. the shaft i an a justin p ate '1 carrying a pin 8 to which the outer end of the spring 6 is secured. This pin 8 is slotted.- and is so positioned in the adjusting plate 7 as to cause a tendency of the turns of the spring to sepa- 59 rate to prevent frictional contact therebetween. The adjusting plate 7 has a serie of apertures 9 circumferentially arranged thru one of which a screw 10 is inserted to engage a threaded aper ture in the lower end of the plate 1,.

To adjust the tension of the sp in a spanner wrench may be provided having two points adapted for insertion in two preferably oppositely positioned apertures 9. With the Wrench positioned he'screw 10 is rem ved and th Wrench 79 turned which turns the plate either to increase or decrease the tension of the spring 6 as may be desired. The screw is then bein reinserted in an aperture in registration with the threaded aperture in the plate 1 to secure th sprin and plate in the adjusted position- The shaft 5 is provided with an enlarged portion 11 on whi h t plate 7 is rotatable and has a portion 12 of less diameter rotatable in an aperture in the plate 1.

The end of the shaft opposite the spring has a 59 flattened portion 13 extending thru a similar aperture in the gear segment ll and peened thereover to secure the gear segment thereon. The shaft is thus held from longitudinal movement by the shoulder formed between the portions 11 and 12 thereof and the gear segment. The portions 12 and 13 provide shoulders 15 against which th gear segment engages when the end 13 of the shaft is peened thereover. The length of the portion 12 is slightly greater than the thickness of the plate 1 to permit freedom of movement of the parts. The gear segment 14 has an extension or arm 16 which is pivotally connected approximately centrally of the sash operating or regulator arm 17 which carries the sash enga n of the ordinary type commonly in use for instance as shown in the patent to myself and A, J. Zwierzina, No. 1,657,561 of January 31, 1928, or of the type shown in my pending application for Automatic window lift, Serial No. 362,556, filed May 13 1929,

In the type of clutch device shown in the Patent No. 1,657,561, the gear segment is turned to the right or left by corresponding rotation of the shaft 23 of the clutch mechanismand the spring is tensioned to practically counterbalance the weight of the sash. In the type of operating device shown in said pending application for automatic window lift, the spring has a tension in excess of the weight of the sash whereby upon release of the clutch device when the sash is in a lowered position the spring automatically tends to close the sash. It is not material to this invention which form of control device is utilized.

The operation of this device is simple in the extreme and the principal feature of the invention is attained by the arrangement of the gear segment, regulator arm, and supporting plate whereby the roller 18 is maintained very closely on the vertical center line of the sash thruout its possible movement. Either type of clutch device tends to turn the gear segment and the shaft 5 to which it is attached.

The regulator arm and gear segment are shown in full lines somewhat above the lowermost point of movement of the regulator arm, the lowermost position of which is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l at A and the uppermost position by dotted lines B. It will be noted that, in turning the gear segment from the lowermost position to the uppermost position the axis of the roller 18 is preferably maintained exactly on the vertical center line of the sash thruout the possible movement thereof. To secure this result the center line of the slot 20 should be at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the roller and in the same plane and the distance of the roller 18 from the pivot point of the arm 16 on the arm 17 is equal to the distance of the axis of the roller 19 therefrom and equal to the distance of the center of the shaft 5 therefrom. Variation in these distances will cause the axis of the roller 18 to describe a different path of movement and this is permissible providing that the path of movement of the axis of the roller 18 does not depart from the vertical center line of the sash to an extent sufiicient to cause a binding of the sash in its way or frame. In other wordsthese parts should be so designed as to maintain the axis of the roller suiiiciently close at all times to the vertical center line of the sash as not to cause the sash to bind in its way by reason of the application of pressure by the regulator arm.

From the foregoing descr ption it is evident that the device is very simple in construction, the parts being few in number and formed principally of stampings and requiring but little machine work in the manufacture thereof and are readily assembled in operative relation on a plate thus adapting the device to be attached as an operative unit to the door or window structure.

Having thus briefly described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is-- l. Ina window regulator mechanism, a base plate hav ng a lateral extension. a shaft adjacent the lower edge of the base plate rotatably supported therein, a gear segment fixed to the shaft, a spring fixed to the shaft tending to turn the shaft in one direction. a control device mounted on said plate including a gear meshing with the gear segment. said lateral extension of the plate having a horizontally posit oned slot in alignment with the longitudinal center line of the shaft. a regulator arm having one end adapted to ride in the slot, the opposite end being adapted to engage a sash on approximately its vertical center line, said gear segment having pivotal connection with the regulator arm intermediate its ends, and means for varying the tension of the spring.

2. In a window regulator, a base plate, a shaft rotatably supported therein and extending to opposite sides of the plate, a gear segment connected with one end of the shaft, a flat spiral spring connected at its inner end to the other end of the shaft, a plate rotatably supported on the shaft between the spring and the base plate, a pin in said plate to which the outer end of the spiral spring is connected, means for adjusting the position of the plate rotatably on the shaft, a regulator arm operably connected with the gear segment and having one end thereof adapted for engagement with the sash on the. vertical center line thereof, the opposite end of the arm being pivotally supported by the plate in a manner permitting the same to slide on a line at a right angle to and in the same plane as the longitudinal axis of the shaft through operation of the gear segment, and a clutch mechanism including a gear engaging the gear segment by which the turning of the gear segment may be accomplished.

3. In a window regulator mechanism, a base plate, a shaft rotatably supported thereon, a gear segment secured to the shaft, a regulator arm having an end adapted to engage the sash approximately on the center line thereof, said segment being pivotally connectedwith the arm intermediate its ends, said base plate having a slot positioned approximately in the plane occupied by the longitudinal axis of the shaft, means at the opposite end of the arm riding in the said slot providing a sliding pivotal support between the regulator arm and base plate, said slot fixing the path of movement of the said opposite end of the arm in a horizontal line toward or from the shaft axis, and a spring having a tension sufficient to at least approximately counterbalance the weight of the sash.

4. In a window regulator, a base plate, a shaft rotatably supported therein extending to opposite sides of the plate, a gear segment secured to one end of the shaft on one side of the plate, a spring connected at the other end of the shaft and tending to rotate the same in one direction, a regulator arm connected intermediate its ends with the gear'segment by a fixed pivot, one of its ends having a window engaging portion and the other of its ends being pivotally supported on the plate and slidable at a right angle to and in theplane of the axis of the shaft, and means for controlling movement of the gear segment.

5. In a window regulator, a base plate, a shaft rotatably supported thereby, a spring connected with the shaft tending to rotate the same in one direction, means for adjusting the tension of the spring, a regulator arm having one end p votally and slidably supported on the plate to move in a horizontal line passing through the axis of the shaft, the opposite end of the arm being adapted for engagement with the sash approximately equidistantly between the side edges thereof, leverage means pivotally connected with the regulator arm and fixed to the shaft, and a control dev ce supported by the plate in operative relation with the leverage means through operation of which the position of the sash in its frame may be determined.

6. In a window regulator, a base plate, a shaft rotatably supported thereby, a spring connected iio site end of the arm engaging the sash approximately equidistantly between the side edges thereof, a lever attached to the shaft and being directly pivotally connected at a fixed point with the arm intermediate its ends, and means for rotating the said shaft to thereby actuate the regulator arm to raise or lower the sash.

EDWARD L. ACKERMAN. 

